Mike Preston: Ravens will finally be tested. Are they ready?

BALTIMORE — The preseason games are over now.

Baltimore had its extended exhibition season playing Indianapolis, New Orleans, Dallas and Tennessee during the first four games of the regular season, but the Ravens are about to enter the meat of their schedule Sunday night in Atlanta, followed by a road game in Cleveland, hosting Cincinnati, and playing in Buffalo before Jacksonville comes to Baltimore on Nov. 5.

The first four teams on the Ravens’ schedule have a combined 5-11 record thus far. The next four teams are 10-6.

The burning question is whether the Ravens (3-1) can win without star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who might be out for a while with an ankle injury, but the real concern is whether this team can win even with Jackson.

My thoughts on the Ravens haven’t changed since training camp opened on July 29. If the Ravens get hot late in the season, they could be like the 2025 New England Patriots, who won their last 14 regular-season games before losing to Seattle, 29-13, in the Super Bowl. There are no super teams in the AFC, except maybe the Kansas City Chiefs, because they have a running game.

But if the Ravens don’t get hot, it could get interesting because they’re suspect. Very suspect.

The offense won’t change a lot with or without Jackson. It’s built around the quarterback’s athleticism and quick decision-making passing, much like in Chicago when Declan Doyle was the offensive coordinator under play-caller Ben Johnson in 2025. Back then, Caleb Williams was the starting quarterback, and he used a lot of rollouts, waggles and shotgun formations.

Things haven’t changed much in Baltimore even if Tyler Huntley replaces Jackson. Both are athletic, can improvise and are willing to make plays with their legs. The offense, though, has limitations because Huntley can’t throw the long ball consistently or as well as Jackson.

Jackson is a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player. Huntley is a career backup.

You get the picture.

Huntley, though, is a gamer. He knows how to win because he is the perfect stopgap quarterback who can succeed in short situations, but not when a team has the chance to prepare or watch film.

Atlanta presents a different challenge.

The Falcons are ranked No. 8 in total defense, allowing 313 yards per game, and No. 1 in rush defense, giving up 48.3 yards per game. Second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been more consistent in his past two starts, and the Falcons have perhaps the best running back in the NFL in Bijan Robinson, who has rushed for 494 yards while averaging 5.8 per carry.

“They’ve got a versatile run game schematically,” Ravens coach Jesse Minter said. “They do a lot of what they ran in Cleveland, implementing some of those things they have been good at on the offensive line, and what Bijan is good at. They have a lot of good schemes with him running downhill, and he has the speed to break it outside on a stretch play. He is an elite, elite player. You can see the confidence in the quarterback going up in the last couple of days, so it will be a great challenge for us.”

That’s the biggest problem: A great running game and a top defense present several challenges regardless of whether it’s Jackson or Huntley under center. The Ravens are allowing 3.9 yards per carry, which isn’t bad, but it’s not great either. Robinson has to be a focus. It’s also about balance.

Atlanta (2-2) is ranked No. 10 on offense and No. 8 in total defense. The Browns (3-1) have similar characteristics, and so does Cincinnati (2-2). The Browns are No. 18 in rushing defense and No. 23 in total offense, while the Bengals are No. 11 in total offense and No. 22 in total defense. Jacksonville (3-1) ranks No. 18 in total offense, No. 25 in total defense and No. 2 against the run.

It’s a different challenge for the Ravens, and it’s welcome. M&T Bank Stadium was about half-filled when the Titans came to town last week. We still don’t know much about this Ravens team, even after four games. The Ravens have a prolific offense and a questionable defense.

Even with or without Jackson, it will be interesting to see whether the Ravens can still play long ball against quality teams with top cornerbacks like Cleveland’s Denzel Ward or Tyson Campbell, who can shadow slot receiver Zay Flowers all over the field. Even more importantly, can this defense prevail despite melting down in the final period each week?

It happened in games against the Saints, Cowboys and Titans. Players like outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson, middle linebacker Roquan Smith and cornerback Marlon Humphrey might be past their prime, and nose tackles Travis Jones and Broderick Washington Jr. haven’t played well this season.

“I think we are close,” said safety Kyle Hamilton. “I do not know if there are two things I could specifically pinpoint. I thought we responded to a lot of different challenges throughout the past few games. We had a couple of goal-line stands the past couple of weeks, and I think that is a big point of emphasis when it comes to defending every blade of grass. I think we have the mentality to do that, and we have shown that we can do that. I just think we need to keep going along the path that we are on, and we will win games and play good defense.”

It’s time for a new challenge, and area fans have been waiting for it since coach John Harbaugh was fired shortly after last season.

It’s time for some meat.